The present invention to combustion devices and more particularly to gas burners of the type which mix gas with air before the gas reaches the combustion chamber of a furnace or boiler.
A wide variety of burner devices have been produced in the past with the object of improving the efficiency of combustion of the gas air mixture. One of the means known for improving such efficiency is to use a variety of fins or blades for swirling the gas and air when mixing them together, so as to more thoroughly intermix the gas and air prior to combustion. Despite the wide number of such devices, however, relatively low levels of efficiency have been achieved, with the result that none of the devices have achieved widespread commercial success. In point of fact, as a result of the need for such devices, pulse fuel devices have been developed which are presently becoming more and more widely used. However, such pulse fuel devices are relatively expensive.
One of the principal difficulties found in prior art devices for mixing gas and air has been the failure to find the precise positioning and construction of fins in the combustion chamber used to cause the swirling motion of gas and air respectively so as to optimize efficiency of the system. In addition, the positioning of the outlets for the gas and the air, which affects the degree of intermixing, have never been fully perfected.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive gas air mixer which will function to intimately mix the gas and air so as to obtain proper burning thereof.
The present invention is a device for improved combustion of gaseous fuel and air. The device includes a tubular housing having first and second ends, each have a circular opening therethrough. A combustion chamber is disposed about the second end of the tubular housing for reception of the gaseous fuel and air mixture. A first conduit extends from the first end of the tubular housing and is in fluid communication with the tubular housing so as to direct the flow of air therethrough. A second conduit is axially disposed within the first conduit and extends through the first conduit and through the tubular housing so as to direct the flow of gaseous fuel therethrough.
A circular baffle is radially disposed about the second conduit within the tubular housing. The circular baffle retards the flow of air through the tubular housing. An annular baffle is disposed in the circular opening in the second end of the tubular housing, which also retards the flow of air through the tubular housing. A plurality of curvilinear fins are disposed in a spiral configuration between the circular baffle and the annular baffle. The fins are disposed so as to effect a swirling motion to the air passing through the tubular housing.
In a preferred embodiment, the annular baffle is sloped outwardly from the periphery of the tubular housing toward the end cap and the end cap extends slightly from the tubular housing. The annular baffle angularly directs the air passing from the tubular housing toward the gaseous fuel passing from the second conduit.
An end cap is attached to the second end of the second conduit. The end cap has a circular baffle at its proximal end, an annular baffle at its distal end and a plurality of end caps fins extending therebetween. The end cap is designed to impart a swirling turbulence to the gaseous fuel passing therethrough. As a result, a stream of turbulent gaseous fuel is emitted from the end cap member and a stream of air is emitted from the circular opening in the annular baffle. The turbulent air is circumferentially disposed about the turbulent gaseous fuel and intermixes therewith so as to form a mushroom shaped flame within the combustion chamber when the mixture is ignited. The mushroom shaped flame is surrounded by turbulent air and is not in contact with the interior surface of the combustion chamber. This mushroom shaped configuration results in virtually complete oxidation of the gaseous fuel. As a result, waste gases are substantially eliminated as a by-product of the combustion.